Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, accused some
elders of the state of ganging up against him because they did not scale
through the primary to be the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party in the state.
The governor explained that some of them, who indicated
interest to fly the party’s flag but failed, went to mobilise in Abuja to
ensure that he did not emerge the running mate of the presidential candidate of
the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike spoke during the 74th birthday reception organised to
honour a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili, at his residence in Old
Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Special
Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr Kelvin Ebiri, and made available to
journalists in Port Harcourt.
Ebiri quoted the governor as saying that, “On my last
birthday, 12midnight, one of our elders called me that they want to see me.
They came to me and said they came to wish me happy birthday.
“Then, they presented me a letter that I should run for
President. All of them, including Dr. Abiye (Sekibo) signed the document.
“I said ‘okay, you people too should go and give me someone
who will be governor after me.’ They all sat there, looking left and right.
“I asked them, ‘those
of you who are interested to be governor should raise your hands.’ Everybody
raised his hand. One person didn’t raise his hand, Senator Bari Mpigi.
“I asked why he was not interested, he replied, ‘sir, let me
hold what God has given me. I don’t want to lose the two.”
Wike noted the elders also signed a document that they would
abide by the outcome of the governorship primary.
He, however, expressed regrets that since they were not
successful, they have turned around now to allege that he was pursuing a third
term bid.
He added, “Some persons don’t know the history. They go and
tell all kinds of story. But the truth is this: all of them (elders) signed the
document prepared by O.C.J. Okocha that whoever I will bring, they will abide
to it.
“But now, they went to Abuja, that I must not be vice
president. I also read yesterday when I was in Paris, one of them saying that I
told him that if they do to me what they did to Dr. Odili, that I will collapse
the system.
“I am not an ungrateful person and I will never be
ungrateful in my life. What is important is that I have done well as a
governor. I am happy and I am leaving office a happy man.”
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